Five Dates
by xx-twilight7-xx
Summary: Bella Swan, a love-weary, uptight florist has a theory. Five dates with one man and then she moves on before the romance does. What happens when she meets a romantically challenged Edward Cullen, who challenges her theory? AU/AH. COMPLETE!
1. One day 'til Valentine's Day

**Chapter One: One day til Valentine's Day**

**Disclaimer: I do not, and will not own Twilight.**

**A/N: Yes, another story. This story will only be short. I estimate around fifteen chapters? But that is subject to change (: I got inspiration for this idea from the movie 'I hate Valentine's Day'. Have fun reading. Oh future ANs will be posted after each chapter from now on.**

**ANOTHER DISCLAIMER: I do not own the aforementioned movie but this story will be based STRONGLY around its plot. I mean no harm by Twilightising it. I am not receiving any monetary benefits from writing this. This story is just for funzies. **

**BPOV**

Nothing could possibly get me down today. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day; one of the many reasons why I decided to own my own flower shop 'Roses for Romance". I adore romance.

Romance ignites a relationship, but I believe romance can die, thus... the spark of a relationship dies out. It's how I was brought up. Courtship is my business – but falling in love is against my rules.

Five dates. That's all that it takes before the romance flees. Which is why I follow a strict format. No more than five dates with the one guy. I want to be moving on before the romance is gone.

That's my theory anyway.

I noticed the time and decided that it would be best to leave to open up my shop. I would be getting in a rush of customers hurriedly buying Valentine's gifts for their chosen one.

Grabbing my keys, I locked up the front door to my apartment, opting to walk to work. Walking down the street I passed a few of my regulars and people I pass by nearly every day.

The first was Henry, the sweet old guy who owns the best bakery in this town. His citrus tarts and strawberry finger buns are to die for.

"Hey, I like your short skirt," Henry told me as I high-heeled past him and his load of freshly baked buns.

I laughed and replied "I like your buns." This was our game.

Next was Phil, owner of a small, quant cafe. As I strutted past him, he called out to me.

"Ooh, Bella! I'm on date four and I'm out of ideas." I had once told Phil (who was fifteen years older than me) about my five-date rule. He decided to do something similar.

I called back over my shoulder, "Water taxi tour of the bridges."

"Thank you!" I hear him yell.

I continued to walk down the next few streets, politely saying hello to a few people that I knew until I reached "Roses for Romance Flower Shop."

Turning the key, I opened the front door and came back out again a few seconds later with my blackboard stand that I used as a countdown to Valentine's Day. Rubbing out the '2' with my palm, I replaced it with a '1'. One day 'til Valentine's Day.

I straightened my back as a man who looked to be a couple years older than me walked past, stopping to look down at my blackboard.

"You know what? Valentine's Day is just a dumb, made-up holiday." I gave him a surprised look and smiled, "I love Valentine's Day."

He, in return, gave me dirty look and replied, "Yeah? Well, I don't know one guy who does." With that he looked at me once more as he stalked off. He then proceeded to yell "It sucks!"

I watched him storm away, noticing as he passed two of my best friends, and assistants; Tyler and Eric. Both of whom are gay.

"Hi Eric and Tyler," I said cheerfully to them as we walked into the shop.

"How are we doing?" I ask them as we file in the door. Eric replies with an oops as he bumps into me while I turn on the light.

"Good morning," I sigh. Tyler rushes by me, "not with these eyebrows." He says.

"Let's see," I said. Tyler was forever worrying about his eyebrows. They are never perfect for him. Though, today he had a point. "Oh, they've gone G.I Joe."

"Help me," he pleaded. I looked around me and noticed one of those spraying water bottles. I took it and sprayed his eyebrows, then used my thumbs to shape the eyebrows straight.

Eric hummed his approval, 'Very Madonna."

Tyler looked at Eric, "Swear?"

I laughed, "Her 80s phase. The second time, in 2007." With that settled, I took off my blue scarf and my coat as Eric did the same. Tyler followed us while lightly touching his eyebrows.

We walked into the back store room. Tyler was still hung up on his eyebrows, "Yes, well, Madonna post-tour, for sure."

Such a perfectionist. "Oh, yeah. Long tour. Eyebrows grow back," I replied as I dumped my purse on the table.

"Hey, my eyebrows grow back thicker," Tyler complained. At least, combining him with Eric and I, the shop is always perfect, every flower arrangement in place.

There was a knock on the back door and then it opened. In popped Billy holding a box full of flowers.

"Good morning. How are my ladies?" he asked.

"Billy! Billy, Bill-Bill delivers," Eric called out excitedly, rushing over to Billy. "Hi. Ooh, well Billy, that shirt looks a lot less wrinkled than normal. Is it... oh, I dare say, ironed?" Eric picks up on every little detail about clothing. Eric gasps and then continues talking again, "You're trying to impress someone?"

Billy Black is our supplier and has been since I opened up the store two years ago. All four of us get along great.

Billy smirked, "Yeah, you. Come one, give me a dirty kiss. Let's see if you can turn me."

Did I mention he has a sarcastic sense of humour for a forty odd year old man?

All three of us look at him. Eric's face grows serious and then he said, "I can't" with a huge smile on his face. Eric and Tyler both laugh as they took the delivery and take it out into the shop.

Billy comes up to me, "What would you do without them? I looked at him, "Oops and uh-oh?"

Those were my nicknames for Eric and Tyler. They were forever crashing into each other. As if on cue I could hear a small bump and then Eric, "oops" and Tyler, "uh-oh."

I smiled as I filled out the delivery form, "lose my mind. How's it going for you?"

Billy sighed, "Oh, Lexie and Dominique have that flu. Now that Sarah's getting it and she's crabby."

"Cause she's sick?"

"No, cause she's Sarah. I've got to do something for Valentine's Day. I'm freakin' out."

"I'll wrap up a dozen roses with some chocolate hearts," I suggested.

"Is that enough?" Billy asked.

'Yeah. All women want to know is that you put some thought into it."

Eric and Tyler walk back in and Eric butts into the conversation, "How many men will wake up in a cold sweat tomorrow. They wait till the last moment and they're on their way home, everything's closed and they're panicking in a 7-Eleven, saying 'Do you have any chocolates in a heart-shaped box?'"

"Yeah. My wife's going to love my gut cause I'm more romantic?" Billy asked sarcastically.

"Yes!" Eric and Tyler reply in unison.

"Are my eyebrows holding up?" Tyler piped in.

"Uh-huh," I replied. "Hey, will you do mine? I have date number one tomorrow with a cute new guy." Date one was always about first impressions.

I always tell Eric and Tyler about my dates, and they always listen and offer their unique opinions. Both of them replied again in unison to me, "Ooh, new guy?"

I avoided their question by telling Billy that I would go get him those roses. And with that I bounced into the shop.

Though I could still hear everything that was being said about me in the other room.

"What happened to that other guy?" Billy asked Eric and Tyler.

"Five dates," Tyler said.

"So it's over." Eric finished.

"She ends it before the guy can. The safety's set on her heart," Tyler explained to Billy.

I busied myself by wrapping up the bundle of roses in pink and white paper. Finishing with that I walked back into the store room, interrupting Eric and Tyler, "Hi! Guess what. I can hear you."

I needed to make my point across to Billy, handing him the flowers so I could use my hands for gestures I stated, "It is not wrong that I want every day to be Valentine's Day."

With that Billy bid us goodbye and we told him good luck for tomorrow with Sarah.

"Have a nice day," I said to my customers as they walked out of the shop door. It was time to organise the fridge of flowers.

"Just move hat over there. Put this over here. It's going to be crazy in here tomorrow. I ordered to Eric and Tyler. Valentine's Day was always our busiest so it was best to organise the flowers before the end of today in time for the rush early tomorrow morning.

The three of us heard the chime of the door, signally a customer. We turned and noticed a man had walked into the shop. We watched him as he explored the flowers nearest the door first, and turned out heads away from him as he accidently knocked over two flowers, saving him from embarrassment as he picked them up again.

This man had bronze, untamed hair, wearing casual clothes and had a jaw that I wanted to lick.

We turned back to see that he was still having trouble with the flowers. Eric and Tyler inch forward to go and help him but I held them back, "Uh-uh. I call shotgun... Hi."

The gorgeous man looked at me and walked towards the counter. "I'm Bella. May I help you?"

"Hi," he replied. His voice was like the audio version of what honey and velvet would sound like, combined together.

Tyler came up behind me, "I saw you at that old pizza place."

Eric came up behind me on my left side, "What? You're not thinking of buying it, are you? It's been a ribs place and a chicken place and everybody goes bankrupt."

"That place is cursed," Tyler said. I smiled one of those 'please ignore these two behind me' smiles.

The man opened his mouth, "I just bought it." Oooh... awkward.

"Congratulations!" I blurt out, followed by Eric, "Oh that's amazing. Awesome."

The man smiled, 'Yeah, I'm reopening it as a tapas bar."

Tyler looked interested, "Oh what's it called?"

"Get on Tapas".

The three of us looked confused and he must have noticed that as he tried to explain the name, "Get on Tapas. Get... get it? It's a tapas bar."

"Are you Spanish?" Tyler asked.

"No."

"Why are you opening a tapas place?" Eric asked. Oh my god, you cannot take these two anywhere, the nosy pair.

"Well, I saw this graph of recent graduates from my law school and statistically, I was right where it said I should be. Felt a little cookie-cuttered. Had a one-third life crisis, quit the firm."

"That's nuts!" Tyler exclaimed.

"Anyway, I'm here to get some flowers for my girlfriend."

"Your girlfriend. Excellent. Very romantic," I said as I laughed. I tried to act polite but god knows I hate relationships.

He smiled a fabulous smile, "Good, good. Because I'll be honest. I'm kinda on shaky ground with this one. I grew up in Atlanta, and down there, if a date turned into the morning after, that's your girlfriend now. But I don't know if this is my girlfriend or if it's just someone I'm dating."

I smiled politely, "How long has it been?"

"Two months," he replied. Eric piped up again from the background as he and Tyler were arranging flowers, "Sounds like a girlfriend to me."

"Okay, I'll take these," he said pointing to some pink flowers near the counter.

"These," I said pointing to them, "are for friendship. Now for Valentine's Day," I proceeded to open the fridge door behind me, "are for girlfriends. So do you know if she's home right now?"

"Uh, no. Tanya is a flight attendant and out of town. She travels a lot."

I began to wrap up his flowers and typing up the bundle, "You know what would be romantic? You get the landlord to let you in and then you leave these beside her bedside."

The man looked at me as if he were studying me, "That's a great idea. Thank you."

"No problem."

"Edward. That's my name," the man, Edward, said as he took the flowers from me after he handed me the money.

"Happy Valentine's Day," he said as he walked towards the door.

I smiled brightly. I loved when people got into the holiday spirit, "happy Valentine's Day," I returned.

I noticed Eric and Tyler behind me again. Those two!

"Why did you do say that Bella?" Tyler asked.

"What?" I replied. What did I do?

"That poor guy." Tyler said pointing towards the door where he exited not thirty seconds ago.

"that old line. She's not travelling," Eric said gravely, "She's got three boyfriends."

"Ooh, guys like that never see it coming. Oh boy. He's the type of guy who doesn't know he's good-looking and goes and gives a woman his heart to get stomped on over and over... and over again." Tyler said.

This is why I do not enter into relationships. Romance leaves, and then to make up for that, more men or women get involved.

Five dates is enough.


	2. Valentine's Day

**Chapter Two: Valentine's Day**

**Disclaimer: I do not and never will own Twilight.**

**----**

**BPOV**

After the shop had closed for today, I went home to freshen up before going out for an early dinner with Emmett, Rosalie, Alice, Embry and Sam, my friends that I've known for years other then Eric and Tyler.

The rest of the day at the shop had gone well, despite having to listen to Oops and Uh-oh talking about Edward, the poor man and how his heart will be broken again tonight as he delivers his 'girlfriend', Tanya, those roses.

I'm content with who I am. I don't need a relationship. I just need romance and friends. Both of which I have.

Just as I was about to walk out of the house, my mobile rang. I looked at Caller ID and noticed that it was my mother.

I took the call as I began to walk towards the Burger place where I was meeting my friends at. My mother, Renee, raved on about how I should come over for dinner soon and that she would make, what I call, substitute chicken. It didn't look much like chicken, and didn't taste like chicken. But my mum insisted it was chicken.

That's how she is. Always trying out new things as substitutes for anything from foods to exercise. Eccentric was what she was. After her and my father divorced, she never got into the habit of dating again, and so always wanted me as company, which I couldn't do too often while I had to run my own shop.

I walked into the diner and immediately saw my friends. I plopped down next to Alice, still on the phone, and nodded hello to everyone. I noticed they were discussing something about soap, mud and cleaning.

"Alright, I got to go mother. Yeah, bye. Yeah, bye. Bye-bye," I said as I finished the conversation with my mother.

I put my phone in my purse and looked around at everyone.

"What are the plans for Valentine's Day?" I asked everyone with a huge smile.

Emmett and Rosalie replied that they would spend it together in their apartment, in their own romantic bubble.

Sam groaned and said, "It's too much pressure!"

"It's the celebration of romance," I stated to all of them.

"Not if you've been single since adolescence," Embry said, rubbing his forehead with his palm.

"How are you going though Sam?"

'... I bought a girl at work some chocolates."

"That's really sweet," I said sincerely.

Alice came bounding in at that moment, "Hi, hi. Sorry always late, I know. There was this pair of shoes." Alice turned to me and said, "Java drink guy asked me out."

Rosalie sighed, "Oh, you already went there?"

"Yep." Alice said, ripping open a tomato sauce packet to coat her fries with.

"Have you already googled him?"I asked. Alice was always forward and planning her future with every guy she meets. Then she proceeded to tell that guy which always frightened them off.

"Uh-huh. He was a total chubster in middle school but then he played football in high school and lost the weight and his mum's a teacher and his dad sells used cars. I went back and told him his best friend's name in high school and that it would be a perfect name for our first child."

We all looked at each other silently. Alice looked at us and then me, "Weird?" she asked.

"If 'weird' means 'spooky'."

Rose added her advice, "Okay, you have to wait to be wooed."

Alice went on, "Anyway, we have a date tonight. And i really don't want to mess this one up."

I grabbed a hot chip, "Oh, then don't text him 82 times between now and then."

"Yes and wait to be wooed," Rose repeated.

"And then you have five dates and that's all," I stated.

Alice replied, "Okay... just tell me what to do one more time."

This is where my strict format comes in. I know exactly what to do on each one of the dates.

"Alright. Date one, breathless flirting. Date two, tummy flip-flops. Date three, the adventurous date. Date four, be fun and fabulous. Date five, make it the best date ever. And then you say goodbye. When the romance is gone, it's time to move on. He'll only remember you with sweet, soft memories and you... you will never be hurt again."

"Okay. I'm totally doing it your way."

"And keep those knees together," I said sternly.

"Ding," Alice replied.

--

Today was Valentine's Day! The best day of the year. I hurriedly got dressed in a red dress, black coat, and my black knee high boots and grabbed my red bag full of little heart chocolates I hand out on my way to work.

Walking down the street I said "Happy Valentine's Day" to everyone I come across. One guy even said, "Does this mean you love me?" But nothing could put me in a bad mood.

I came up to my shop and noticed approximately ten males looking in my shop window deciding what to buy their Valentine's and had waited to the last minute to do so.

I came up behind them and said, "Happy Valentine's Day."

One turned around and said, "Help!"

The guy that mouthed off to me yesterday at how Valentine's Day sucked was also waiting. So I made it a point by going up to him and saying, "Welcome back" to which he replied "this sucks."

I opened up the shop and watched around fifteen to twenty men push in the door in a fluffy. Today was going to be a busy, busy day.

--

**EPOV**

After I walked in on Tanya in bed with another man last night, I had been sulking quietly by myself in the old shop I had bought yesterday morning before heading into that flower shop down the street where that nice, young woman helped me.

But now, I was sitting alone in the dark shop on an old antique stool, flipping small pieces of metal into a tin can.

I heard a door open and my friend, Jacob, comes around the corner, "How are you, Edward? Happy V-Day, buddy."

Jacob proceeds to look around, "Wow, look at this place. Big mistake," he said as he pulled up a stool next to me.

I admit that the shop needed quite a lot of work, but now I would have time to restore it, seeing as I have no girlfriend to hog up my time.

"Where are we taking it tonight?" he asked.

I turned around and punched his arm. Jacob jumped, "Oh! What's with that?"

"You were the one that set me up with Tanya, that flight attendant."

"Yeah! Let's score me some flight attendants."

"I just got dumped by one."

"One what?" Does Jacob every listen?

"A flight attendant. The one you set me up with."

"How'd that go?"

I sighed and decided to speak my thoughts, "Do you ever listen?"

"Well, then I'd have to hear you, buddy."

I sighed again, 'She said my actions let her know that we weren't exclusive. I thought we were exclusive."

Jacob huffed and looked down at his phone again, "So?"

I crossed my arms over my torso and hunched over, "so it's my fault once again for not understanding the game."

"No there's no game tonight."

There he goes again. I wish he would get off that bloody phone. I sighed for a third time and hang my head.

--

**BPOV**

Tonight was date number one with Mike Newton. He took me to a lovely romantic restaurant and here we sit, discussing relationships.

"Well I don't think long-term relationships work,' I expressed.

"I haven't had a relationship in a year," he answers back.

"Well... you seem like a fun guy," I smile. My mobile phone began to ring.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Please excuse me. I just want to take this. It's my friend. She keeps calling and I'm a bit worried about her. I'll be right with you."

The whole time I said this Mike kept side smiling at me

"Hi, Alice. Are you okay? Aren't you on a date? Hello?"

I heard sniffles from the opposite end, _"Oh, God," Alice replies. "I downloaded coffee guy's yearbook photos and I made him a scrapbook and he flinched and ran out."_

"Oh. I'm so sorry." More sniffles on the other end, and then I heard that very familiar TV show music. "You're watching 'Jerry Maguire' again."

"_No."_

"Listen to me. Nobody completes anybody. Alice, you're the best. I'll call you when I get home. Turn off the TV."

"_Okay."_

I close my phone and say hi again to Mike with a smile.

He continued to have that smile on his face and if he did not get rid of it soon, I was tossing up whether or not to slap it off of his face, "So, wait, wait. Let's get back to what you were talking about. You don't want a relationship?"

"Yes. I do not want a relationship." I think I knew where this was going. "They're just an emotional cage that sad couples peek from behind the bars of, looking at all us happy, single people, wondering what fear of being alone made them say, 'I do'."

Mike took a toothpick and began to bite on it, to be seductive, "So you're saying... you're kind of a swinger?"

I straightened up, "What just happened?"

He replied, "Mm-hm."

I exhaled sharply. Oh god.

--

The day after Valentine's Day. I quickly ended the date with Mike and went home. Now Tyler, Eric and I were taking down the decorations from yesterday.

"Oops."

"Uh-huh." Eric had bumped the step ladder that Tyler was standing on.

I decided to go and visit Edward's new restaurant down the street. Walking into his shop I noticed him in a button down shirt. I quietly walked up behind him as he was nailing shelves on the wall, behind what looked to be, a half assembled bar.

After greeting each other and making polite conversation about when he was going to open his restaurant I cut to the chase, "I was thinking I would like to provide your floral arrangements."

He looked down, "Oh, well, uh, I didn't put flowers in my budget."

I was shocked, "I'm sorry. I thought you just said that you didn't put flowers into your budget."

"I did."

"Take it back."

"What?"

"Edward, with all due respect, you're making a huge mistake. A new restaurant is not just about the food. It's about ambience and soul. Now flowers provide a salve to our senses because aesthetic beauty calms us and soothes us which means customers will feel good here. They will linger. They'll order more wine. Which means they'll have dessert and they will leave happy. And they will go home and they're going to make love. They will wake up in a great mood and then tell everybody about the fabulous new tapas restaurant they just went to."

Edward looked thoughtful for a minute and smirked a trademark smirk, "How much?"

I smiled widely, "Not much."

"You're good."

"Who told you?" with that I took my leave and walked back out.

Walking home, after talking with my mum again, I checked my voicemail. Only one... from my father. _"Hi Bella. It's your dad. Just calling to say hi, to see what you're up to. Give me a call sometime."_ I closed my phone, sighed and kept on walking home.

Tomorrow I'm helping Edward with his floral decorations.

**----**

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed it. I'm actually estimating this story to only be around 10-15 chapters. Bella is 27 and Edward is 29. Jasper also does not really feature in this story until the last few chapters. Sorry for all those Jasper lovers. That's just how it was in the movie and I'm keeping it very similar to the movie. Also Rosalie and Emmett are not major characters either.**

**Thanks for all the favourites, alerts and reviews. Your opinion matters to me. I'm posting this a day earlier because I will be at a concert tomorrow during the day. I'm going to Soundwave to see Paramore, All Time Low, Jimmy Eat World, etc.**

**Reviewers will get a sneak peak of chapter three. **

**Chapter three should be posted on Thursday about 7am (Australian Time) but I may be persuaded to update earlier if I get quite a few reviews – hint hint.**


	3. Oprah's Hot!

**Chapter Three: Oprah's Hot**

**Disclaimer: I do not and never will own Twilight**

**----**

**BPOV**

Here I was, helping Edward Cullen with his floral arrangements. His tapas bar was scheduled to open very soon. I was making Edward smell each of the flowers and telling him about them.

"It's a florist's secret that the purple ones have the deepest scent. For the party, I'm going to put one on a hair comb for your girlfriend."

Edward looked down at the ground, fixating his gaze on one of the newly shined tiles. "Oh, uh... No girlfriend." See relationships never last. The romance had mostly likely left. "Oh I'm sorry," I replied even though I did not look it seeing as I had a big smile on my face.

"Uh, she wasn't who I thought she was."

I looked up at him and saw the slight pain in his eyes. Eric and Tyler were right. I tried to cheer him up as best as I could. "Okay, well, owner of this new hot Brooklyn restaurant, you are going to meet somebody new," I walked around and then leant over on a counter, looking back at him.

"No, no, no. I'm... I'm off relationships."

My smile suddenly became wider."Fantastic! You'll be so much happier."

He looked surprise, "Oh okay. You're not gonna say that thing that women always say which is, 'I haven't found the right one yet?"

I laughed and shook my head, "No. I don't believe there's just one person."

"What?"

"I don't believe people are meant to be in relationships. Yeah, we should just have fun and when the romance is gone, move on."

"Well, how long does that last?" he asked. Now we're talking.

"Five dates to be exact. Five dates happen to be the perfect amount of time to achieve maximum fun with no pain. No expectation equals no disappointment. It's just fun and there are no rules."

"No rules," Edward muttered incredibly.

"No rules," I repeated, "and you know what? In relationships, that's all there are. You know, one person wants more, the other wants less, and then they act out, cheat, ugh, come back, stay out of guilt, oops, now someone's pregnant, suddenly you're married and you hate each other."

I looked over at Edward, who looked so confused. So I decided to sum up, "Dating is just so much more romantic."

"So you're saying you love romance but not relationships?"

"Well, what's to love about something that only brings unhappiness?"

"It's just... it's not natural."

"Do you know many happy couples?"

"Yes... but, no?"

"I _am_ happy _all_ the time." With that I continued on with the flower arrangements.

--

**EPOV**

After hearing that come from Bella's mouth, I decided I needed air. How could one, beautiful woman harbour that ill theory that relationships bring unhappiness? I'm no expert but although some of her theory has a point, it just seems... unnatural.

I decided to meet up with Jacob and take a stroll around Brooklyn. Mind you, Jacob does not help.

"Oh, that's hot!" was the first thing that came out of his mouth when I told him about the conversation between Bella and I earlier on.

"Is she hot? Oh, it doesn't matter," Jacob went on, "Her attitude is hot. If she had three eyes and two butts and a tooth, then I'd do her. Hey does this tie say, 'My client's guilty'?" Jacob questioned me as he stopped and pulled on his tie, showing me. It was a pale blue colour, kind of a greeny-blue colour to be exact. I didn't answer his question.

I began to talk about it, "She's just..."

Jacob interrupted me, "... Hey, when was the last time you had a good pastrami sandwich? Oh, the new cafeteria girl has a sexy, thin eyebrows thing going on."

I lifted my arms in my coat, "Alright, I'm going to ask her out."

"Lucky moron. She just wants to have sex with you."

I turned to face him, "Don't be ridiculous."

"Dude trust me," Jacob said as he stopped walking and laid a hand on my shoulder to halt me, "chicks love an assertive guy. Come on try it for once."

With that Jacob walked away, leaving me to my own thoughts.

Should I give it a go? Will Bella say yes? Could I step away after five dates knowing I can never have any more with her? Or is this just what I need? Five no strings attached romance-filled dates? Her and her theory intrigue me. Can i take her up on her challenge?

Yes. I think I might.

I walked over back to my shop and began pacing, waiting for Bella to turn up. I saw her come into view and so, without thinking, I yelled out, "I want to have sex with you."

--

**BPOV**

After hearing Edward yell that, I immediately begun to slow down, a man walking by me said "whoa" and laughed. I walked up to Edward. I reached up and grabbed his handsome, perfect jaw, "Edward, just because I don't believe in relationships does not mean that I'm easy. If you're interested in spending some time with me, you may romance me. Got it?" I asked.

"Alright," I heard Edward say. I let go of his jaw, he flexed his mouth, "Sorry."

"It's okay," I reply with a smile. Cutting to the chase I began, "It just so happens I am open for wooing."

"Okay. What do I do?"

"Well, anything. Women appreciate any gesture of romance."

Edward stuttered, "I'm... I'm not romantic," he said pointing to himself.

"You broke into your ex's apartment with roses," I said.

"I... I caught her in bed."

I gasp, "You did?"

"Mm-hm."

"That was my fault. Sorry."

Edward shook his head as if to wave that conversation away, "back to this."

"Um... okay. Just put some effort into it. Women like to be pursued. I've been flown to Hawaii. I've had my name peed in the snow. It all counts." With that I walk around Edward.

--

**EPOV**

Again I met up with Jacob. And again his suggestions would not help me. Look where my last one got me... in a jaw lock.

"How about a rent a billboard that says, 'LET'S BONE'? " I looked at him. He continued, "Or... you've got nice hair."

"Look, I am intrigued by this theory of hers and my instincts are messed up... and stat-wise, my dump ratio's off the charts lately."

"Lately? No, you've always gotten burned," Jacob added. Thanks man. But he kept rubbing my face in dirt, "Remember at law school, that chick who dumped you by fax? Or the one who ditched you for a party clown?"

"That's why I hate clowns," I added.

"I like balloon animals, especially giraffes." Awkward silence. "Hey, but with this chick, you can't get dumped."

I stopped walking and made Jacob stop as well, "You're so right. That's the beauty of it. We're both agreeing to end it after five dates. I think I'm going to try this, see if I can't come out without the usual intestine twisting pain."

Jacob looked down at his phone.

"What, am I boring you? Huh? Sound like I'm on Oprah's couch?"

"Man, Oprah is hot!"

--

**BPOV**

A couple of weeks after Valentine's Day we begin to put up Easter decorations. Eric and Tyler were hanging a 'HAPPY EASTER' sign above the fridge.

Eric dropped a weaved basket from on top of the fridge and it narrowly missed Tyler.

"Oops," Eric said.

"uh-oh," followed Tyler as he bent down to pick it up. I just laughed from over by the display window.

Eric and Tyler were making their own conversation. "What are we going to do for Easter?" Tyler asked Eric. "I want go get a bunny," Eric replied. Those two.

"I get to pick it," Tyler said.

"He's... ooh, ooh..." Eric began but Tyler interrupted, "Faster, he's here."

I turned around to notice that Edward had walked into Roses for Romance and had gone up to the counter. Edward turned around and looked up at me on a small stepladder.

"Hello," he said. Eric and Tyler had come around the side and stood close to Edward staring at him. Edward noticed the two and looked at them.

"Hi," he said casually.

"Hi," Tyler said smiling.

"Don't you guys have something to do in the back?" I asked hoping they'd take my hint.

They looked at each other and replied simultaneously, "No."

I looked at them still, "Um, could you take these to that place that ordered them that day when they called on the phone to ask about them?" I asked as I picked up two bouquets of flowers.

Eric turned up his nose and began walking toward me, Tyler following behind. Each took one bouquet.

"Thank you," I sighed.

Edward walks up to me and laughs, "I have not asked you out. But I'm working on it. I'm just stumped by the whole romance thing. The gesture to woo you with... jewellery, a stuffed animal... or maybe just a bird? I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

"Well, you're not _supposed_ to do anything. That's okay. You know what? Forget it. It's okay," I said simply, "Obviously, this is just causing you stress and... let's be friends."

Edward sighed and looked down, then up and me, then down again, opening and closing his mouth a few times. He then slowly turns and begins to walk out.

This is when I notice a piece of paper in the back pocket of his pants.

"Hey. What's that?" I asked as I grabbed it.

Edward quickly turns around and tries to get the paper back," No, no. Hey."

"Hey, wait a minute. Whoa! It's got my name on it." I laughed and began to open it. I smiled hugely at him, "let me see" and then I took it out and read it, "_Roses are red, violets are blue, will you be my date for my restaurant opening? I hope you do._"

Awww, how sweet. He even relates flowers in the poem.

"There you go!" I said to him.

"See you there?"

I nodded and smiled.

**----**

**A/N: Next chapter is Date Number One... and Two I think. Review and tell me your thoughts (: You're all invited to Edward's tapas bar opening.**

**Can we get 15 reviews for this chapter?**

**Unrelated: PARAMORE IS AMAZING LIVE!**


	4. Get on Tapas

**Chapter Four: Get on Tapas**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Plain and simple.**

**----**

**BPOV**

After Edward had left the flower shop, I was forced to tell Tyler and Eric about everything that we had exchanged in the shop. Not that they probably don't know all of it anyway, I bet you they were listening in on the conversation the whole entire time.

It was now the grand opening of Edward's 'Get on Tapas' restaurant. Everywhere you could see, people were cheering and yelling 'tapas!' I wore a purple and green floral dress, with natural makeup and a simple gold necklace. I noticed Edward as soon as I walked through the entrance.

"Congratulations," I told Edward as I walked up to him.

"Thanks. I can't believe I did it. I'm really glad you're here. To our first date," Edward toasted as he raised his glass. My glass met his with a clink.

"Is this an okay first date?" he asked, probably worried that it had not met my standards. Every guy was different. I did not have standards for dates, well I do, but only if it's horrendous.

"Yes, it's perfect.:

"Okay," he replied.

"Because date number one is a new beginning."

"Well, this place is going to take up a lot of my time, so... I'll take it slow with us. Is there a time frame?"

I laughed, "No."

"Okay," Edward exhaled. I heard a noise from behind me.

"What a dump! Ha ha, I'm just joking," a tanned man in a black suit, who obviously knew Edward said. He walked up between us, "Nice place. When are you closing?" he laughed. Obviously Jacob. Up himself and thinks he's funny. Jacob to a tee.

"Yeah, Jacob, this is Bella. The girl I told you about."

"When?" Jacob asked.

"Five dates."

"Oh, hello," Jacob said flirtatiously, "I'm Jake, short for Jacob," he smirked. He kept talking, "On behalf of men everywhere, I would just like to say thank you. You should teach a course to tell the crazy, clingy broads that I... Oh, hey, this is, uh... Ping," Jacob said as he pointed towards a small African woman. I lowered my eyes to view her.

"Is this your adopted daughter?" I asked him.

"She's my date." I need to get away from him. I looked towards my right and said, "Oh, good. Someone's choking." And with that I walked off towards some flowers and began to play with them. I felt Edward's presence about thirty seconds later, "Sorry about Jake."

"Oh, he's harmless," I said.

"If you're vaccinated," Edward joked and I laughed. He must have taken this as a good sign. "Hey, I, uh... saw this and thought it would be a..." he pulled out a small palm-sized book from his pocket and handed it to me.

Looking at it I noticed it was a book of pressed flowers, "I love it. It's thoughtful. Thank you." I said.

Edward looked relieved," Oh good. For a while there It was going to be a scented candle."

"That would have been nice too."

"What about notepaper?"

"Love notepaper."

"A scarf?"

"Ooh, yes."

"Antique stool?"

"Uh-uh. Creepy." I said shaking my head.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Um... I'm not really a fan of antiques. You know, they... ugh. I can kind of only see the person who once had it, you know, like, their dead hand clutching it. Yeah?"

"Good to know," was all Edward had to say.

I began to list, "Other stuff... jazz makes me nervous and nauseous. And one-sleeve dresses, they're just wrong. Oh, I'm hot. No, this arm's cold," I impersonated a woman with a one-sleeve dress.

"I got it," Edward smirked.

"Okay. And what are your fears?

Edward only said opening a restaurant which brought me back to asking about how his reservations where, trying to make small talk. He seems like a nice guy. Nervous, but nice.

Edward came up behind me discussing his restaurant and then branched off, "You smell nice," he said while lowering his head and smelling my hair.

"This is the good part," I murmured to no one in particular.

"What?"

"The anticipation."

--

Date two was incredible. Edward took me to an Art Gallery, asking if I could take a day off work which I said I would be able to.

Edward was content because I liked it and that he took me here because I said that our second date should be theatrical or cultural. He was thinking of this or a concert. I'm glad he chose an art gallery. I enjoy art.

I had an idea and Edward mentioning a concert made that idea come to me, "I don't know what you're thinking to do about music for your restaurant, but I saw this band at a wedding i did last year and they can play anything," I suggested while handing him a small piece of paper with the band's number on it.

It wasn't a very well known band but they were extremely talented and I enjoyed listening to the music at the wedding.

Edward took the card and read it, "That's... that's so thoughtful of you."

A lady came out from behind the closed curtain and said with a blank face, "Exhalations."

I took her to be the artist of the exhibit and with that everyone began to walk through the now-opened curtains

We were given a glass of champagne and a booklet as we walked around the exhibition. The first painting we came across was of a simple red dot in the middle of a white background and a long red line to the left of the artwork..

"It's called 'Manifest Destiny'", Edward spoke up. I don't see it. Both of us looked at each other as we tried to see how the artwork conveyed its name.

We couldn't. So we moved onto the next.

"It's called 'Train Tracks'" Edward said when we had reached another artwork. This one was just a blank canvas. There was a middle aged couple in front of us that were completely moved by this artwork. The wife asked her husband, "Isn't this beautiful?" to which the man replied with a gasp and a choke as he tried to hold in tears.

Edward looked down at the information sheet, "Two thousand dollars," he said. Wow... really? For a blank canvas? I could do more with flowers.

"What!?!" I exclaimed. "Let me see that," as we moved on, leaving the couple still looking at the artwork.

We came across a yellow dot centred more to the right of a white background. I looked at the sheet and smirked. "This one's called 'I hate Grandma'."

"For real?" Edward asked.

A smile broke out on my face, "No."

"What's it called?"

"Yellow Dot."

Oh how original.

"I don't see it."

I looked up at Edward and giggled. At least we were both making fun of the art together. This date was turning out great.

The next one following was a pale pink oval with a white background with 4 smaller circles on the underside of that large oval. Edward and I just took one look at it and laughed. Edward proceeded to walk back towards the entrance, grabbing my hand as he turned.

"I'm so glad you didn't like it," he said as we walked out of the gallery, hand in hand.

"I'm so glad you didn't like it either."

We ended up taking a stroll around a park. "Now, on date number two we do the requisite trading of familiar background information."

"Um, a sister, two parents, all close."

"Okay. No siblings, parents divorced, not close to my father."

"Why not?"

I sighed, "My dad cheated."

Edward softly replied, "Oh, that must've been hard."

"Well, I plan to get over it one day."

"Hey, it's good to let that seething anger fester for a long time."

I laughed. "Well, um, changing the subject. You owe me something private back."

"Oh..." Edward sighed. "Oh. One time I heard my parents."

"No, no." I laughed.

"Yeah."

"Uh-uh."

"Couldn't look them in the eye til i was in college, Hey, Mum, Dad."

I laughed and continued laughing for some time while Edward politely waited for me to finish, occasionally laughing along with me. I enjoyed listening to his musical laugh.

We walked on silently for a few seconds, enjoying the scenery until Edward broke the silence, "This is a fun date."

"You like the system, huh?"

"Yea so far so good. I mean, no expectations or wondering if the other person's looking for some kind of a commitment..."

I broke him off from talking as I grabbed the sides of his coat and pulled him to me, kissing him hard once then retreated.

"... or worrying about the first kiss."

"Yeah that's over," I said, playfully slapping his arm.

We looked over towards a bench to see two women staring at us.

"I'm, uh, not good with the public display of affection kind of thing," Edward whispered while shifting nervously.

"Oh, okay," was all I replied with. Edward looks around him and then takes my right hand in his right hand and leads us off towards a tree where he grabs my hips and gently pushes me towards the tree so that my back is against the tree.

Then he puts his lips to mine passionately and holds my neck and back of my head with his hands, to gain further access to my mouth. I put my hands on his shoulders and then looped them around his neck, while never breaking contact with his lips.

This was a fantastic second date.

**----**

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed their first and second date. The dates come and go quite quickly plus the story will only be short. I do wonder if it will even make ten chapters. We'll have to wait and see. I write as I go along. Tell me your opinions.**

**One reviewer even guessed the movie that this is based on. For some reason I didn't think anyone would guess it, seeing as I don't think it's that popular of a movie. **

**By the way, I'm terribly sorry if I change the tense between past and present. One of my writing weaknesses is keeping consistent with the tense.**

**Can we aim for 15 reviews again? We fell a little short of my goal last chapter. **


	5. Seat Number 33

**Chapter Five: Seat Number 33**

**Disclaimer: I wish I had thought up the idea for Twilight.**

**----**

**BPOV**

After that kiss, Edward and I talked for a while longer before he walked me home and kissed me gently once more. I sighed when I had reached my bed before collapsing and curling up, submitting myself to the warmth of the doona.

The next day, however, I was forced to tell every detail of my second date to Tyler and Eric as we sat down arranging vases of roses, lilies, orchids, basically every type of flower under the sun.

Tyler looked at me excitedly, "Go back to the part about the kiss."

Eric joined in, 'Oh, yeah, that part... wait, when's the next date?"

"When's the next date?" Tyler repeated immediately after Eric.

I sighed and answered, "In eight days. Just enough time to let us remember the events of date two before we create another memory. I told him date number three should be an adventure. I can't wait."

"Oh, I can't wait," Tyler said suggestively. Eric and Tyler both laughed as I looked at them.

"Oh stop it you two," I said as I joined in on the laughter and then told them to go back to watering the sunflowers on display.

--

Date Number Three, the adventure date, has arrived.

Edward took me to a small restaurant downtown. I had decided to wear a stripped dress, white cardigan and simple gold chain. Edward wore black dress pants and a purple button down shirt that fitted him perfectly.

We were served our drinks, of which I had no clue what it was, as soon as we sat down.

"Jacob recommended this place,' Edward said.

"Ah," I replied. I hope it turns out to be a good place.

"Okay this sake's called nigori and it's very unique. Later we're going to try junmai, which is very pure. But here's the adventure.... SAKE BOMB!"

Edward dropped a shot of what was called 'sake' into our beer and it fizzed up. Not my first thought of an adventure but it was unique, different, totally... Edward.

I laughed at the amusing trick and smiled at Edward. Before we could do anything else, we were interrupted by a man on stage with a speaker, "Alright! It's time for kamikaze karaoke!!" he yelled into the microphone. The restaurant cheered and clapped. Apparently this was a common occurrence.

The announcer began talking again, "Where I pick the songs nobody knows!" Everyone around us began to look underneath their seats as if they were looking for something under there.

"Alright. Our first player is... seat number six! Look under your chair for your number." I reached under mine and read "Seat Thirty Two" from the piece of paper. We heard a woman scream from up the back and she ran forward onto the stage.

"That's my number! That's my number! What's my song?" the woman asked the announcer when she had gotten on stage.

"Oh, you are singing 'Polly Wolly Doodle'."

"I don't know the lyrics."

"No one does. That's why its kamikaze karaoke!"

The restaurant all yell, "Kamikaze karaoke!"

As the woman began singing I asked Edward if he know about this.

He looked at me and replied, "No."

After a few more rounds of people singing out of tune to unknown songs, the announcer proceeded to call out another seat number, "Okay, next up, seat number... 33."

There was silence.

"33? Come on, don't be shy." The announcer began to chant the number, and the audience joined in.

Edward mutters my name to get my attention. He unfolds his card and it says 'Seat Number 33'. He then folds it up quickly with a stressed look on his face.

"Then go," I said.

Edward shook his head, "No way," he mouthed.

"Go," I urged him.

"Mmm-mmm."

I pondered for a moment and then grabbed his ticket and yelled, "That's me!" The announcer yelled, "Alright!" I walked up the stage and handed him my ticket.

"Hi. Okay. You have 'There's No Livin' Without Your Lovin'."

I thanked him and took the microphone and began to sing.

_If I can't love you_

_Till the day I die_

_Then, baby, oh, baby._

_What good am I?_

_If I can't reach out_

_And know that you'll be there_

_Then this old world_

_Ain't spinning anywhere._

_And there's no livin'_

_Without your lovin'_

The announcer ran up and grabbed the microphone from my hands and walked down to where Edward sat stiffly, "And the fella!" he yelled. Edward just stared at the microphone and the announcer told him that he could do it. I waited on the stage, wondering if Edward would pull through.

All Edward managed to muster up was a loud breath into the microphone. Someone in the background laughed at him.

The announcer began to chant, "You suck." The audience joined in with him.

I felt sorry for him. The announcer told me I could sit down and that I did a fantastic job.

As soon as I sat down I asked if he was okay.

"Yeah."

"Shall we go?" I asked him.

"No. No. I ... I could never get up there. It's too public."

"That's what's fun about karaoke," I smiled.

"I – I couldn't get up there."

"Ah-hah. So you do have a fear."

"No, no fear. Just a choice. A choice not to act like an idiot and do something stupid.

"I don't know. Sometimes I think it's fun to do something stupid."

"That's cause you're fun and you're easygoing and nothing fazes you and there's no pretence. And you're blushing," Edward smirked.

"I am?" I asked. I only blushed in extreme cases. Edward nodded a yes.

"Shall we order?" Edward asked.

"Er, yeah. Um, see if they have public humiliation on the menu."

"They do. I just had it as an appetiser."

I laughed.

--

Again the next day I was questioned by Eric and Tyler. They seem to live vicariously through my dating life. Only because they have each other and don't really like my theory but enjoy watching the five dates fold out each time.

Eric was leaning on a stepladder, as I was doing the same on another. Tyler was between us with his feet firmly on the ground. He was the clumsier out of the two.

"I think it's interesting. These southern gentlemen, they're not loud and show-offy like us. You know, he's a gentleman. He doesn't do stupid things," Eric said.

I sighed while holding a box of flower decorations, "He's different."

--

**EPOV**

Jacob met me inside my tapas bar to ask me about how my third date went with Bella.

"I don't know, she's just so alive, so... fearless. Best part – no rules."

"Yeah, well, that's different," Jacob said absent mindlessly while texting on his phone.

"She is different," I said incredulously.

"Who? Dinner," Jacob said holding up his phone to me.

I raised my hands, 'Why are we friends?" I asked.

"Hello! Canoe tip! I saved your life at summer camp," Jacob replied.

I laughed, "no, no, no. I saved your life, pal."

"And I've been loyal to you ever since."

"Here comes Bella."

"Who's that?" Jacob asked while he turned to look in the direction I was looking, "I gotta get to court. Thanks for the nachos."

Bella came up to me and said hello, to which I replied hi back.

"So I was thinking – why not get a stella review and make your place the talk of the town?"

I smiled, "Oh, it's that easy?"

"Yeah," she smiled. I love Bella's smiles. She smiles extensively.

"Well, I'm not ready. The menu's still in transition. It's just a little neighbourhood joint."

"Really? Well, I thought you'd say that. So, I told him what a nice hard-working guy you are, and that opening that restaurant is this huge big change in your life, and he said when you're reading for a review, you just call the paper, okay?"

Bella tucked a newspaper underneath my arm and smiled her trademark smile.

"You called the critic?" I asked.

"Yeah."

"Thank you," I said surprised.

Bella looked radiant, "Oh, you're welcome. Well... I should go."

We both just stood there staring at each other until we decided just to enjoy each other's company outside of my restaurant on the bench with two glasses of wine and a plate of tapas to share.

This apparently did not count as an official date mind you.

We were having a competition of who could judge a passerbyer the best.

Across the road was an elderly man, standing on the edge of the footpath, holding a coat in his crossed arms.

"Happy," Bella suspected.

"You think so? I'd say unhappy."

"What looks unhappy about him?"

"Stooped shoulders, big sigher. Watch. Wait for it," I told Bella.

We waited for him to sigh which he did not ten seconds later. Bella groaned and laughed.

She looked at me, "You're good."

"No, I have a gift."

"Yeah, alright."

"Watch."

We saw a business-looking man in a black suit and suitcase walking across the street.

I started pointing out characteristics, "Pretty up-beat guy. Worried about office politics."

"Oh, is that right?" Bella laughed.

I began to pretend to read her mind, "Pretty up-beat gal. Worried about... Nothing?

"I told you – happy all the time."

"Or just doesn't think about things that make her unhappy."

Bella remained silent. Did I just go and put my foot somewhere where it did not belong?

I continued talking, "Look at the old lady. Happy?"

"Yeah," Bella agreed quietly with a small smile.

We sat at that bench for a while longer just playing our game, talking and watching the sun set. When it was time for us to depart, I walked Bella to her apartment, and ensured that she was safely within it.

Only after that did I walk home to my apartment. Three down, two to go.

**----**

**A/N: I know there is a ton of dialogue in my story. But I like dialogue and I'm not particularly strong with writing. I'm just writing this because it's on my mind, I liked the movie it's based on and thought I'd share it with you all.**

**Sorry about not sending out any previews in the reviews, seeing as I just replied to them before I posted this I found no point. I've had a busy week studying.**

**Off to see Alice in Wonderland (: Can we aim for 10?**


	6. Ef Me Boots

**Chapter Six: Ef Me Boots**

**Disclaimer: I never will own Twilight or 'I Hate Valentine's Day'. I just make my own fun with the characters and plot.**

**-oo-**

**EPOV**

Things with Bella are wonderful. Her personality, sense of humour, opinions and even her five date theory was amazing, so far. But as I sat down on an antique stool in Get on Tapas I began to think. Would I be able to let go of Bella after the five dates come to a close?

For my sake, and hers, I certainly hoped so. The last thing Bella probably needed was a romantically inept man desiring her after.

She would definitely not like that.

I rose from the stool and began organising the display of spirits behind the bar. The front door opened and Billy popped in with the flower arrangements for tonight.

I smiled at him as he began to set up the flowers. After five minutes I sighed loudly, turned around and leant my elbows on the bar table.

"Billy, can I ask you a question?"

He rose one eyebrow at me. "Keep it clean," he murmured.

"Bella's really not into commitment?"

Billy reached into his box and pulled out a bunch of yellow and white flowers. He glanced up at me and shook his head in reply. "Just fun."

A wave of confidence washed over me as I questioned Bella's dear old friend. "What do you think about her 'Five Dates' theory."

Billy looked at me in the eye as he unwound flowers. "I got a wife, two kids, two mortgages, nosy in-laws, a dog that humps my Lazy Boy and no peace. I think she's a genius."

He turned around to place the arrangement on a table.

I fiddled with my hands, raising them to emphasis my feelings. "She makes me feel like..." I paused and cleared my throat. "...I can't explain. But, like, I could do no wrong. I'm planning little dates, I'm buying little gifts. That's not me... but I like it. So, I wanna do something really special for her."

Billy, who was watering the flowers, looked at me mischievously. "What do you have in mind?"

"Well..." I began.

-oo-

**BPOV**

I had spent the past few days randomly sighing whenever I thought of Edward and our Five Dates. Can you see the romance that is happening? My theory is extremely effective. None of that 'Oops have to cancel that date tonight honey, the babysitter cancelled' or 'Sorry babe, tomorrow night instead?'

There is no babe in this relationship.

What am I saying? There is no relationship?

Let me rephrase that. There is no 'babe' in our romance.

Romance. Just romance.

That's how I like it.

Edward's romance is pure heavenly bliss. I walked into the store this morning with a massive smile on my face. Eric took one look at me and dropped a thorny white rose onto Tyler's bare foot.

"Oops."

"Uh-uh."

Why was Tyler not wearing any shoes in my shop? Occupational Health and Safety issue right there.

I chastised Tyler and Eric as we walked into the back room where I organised a little vase of Orchids and the other two went about setting out the new order of Lilies we had received that morning.

Whilst we were busy, Billy slinked through the back door and tried to subtly place a long rectangle white box with a small midnight blue bow in front of me.

I glanced at him and then looked down at the box while holding a small pair of scissors I was using to trim the flower stems.

"From Edward," Billy muttered. Tyler and Eric immediately turned around and huddled around me.

I squealed in delight and flicked the ribbon and pulled it off with ease.

I opened the lid and a collective gasp sounded throughout the room.

Giggling, I lifted up one of the items.

A deep, blood red knee high stiletto boot.

Eric whistled.

Something else in the box caught my eye and I placed the shoe back into the box and picked up a small note.

I unfolded it and paused for a moment before reading it outloud.

'In my fantasy you're wearing these with nothing but a smile."

My mouth widened as I lowered my arms and gasped "Oh my!"

Tyler and Eric tried to grab at me. "Let's see, let's see."

I giggled and began to flee away from them.

I hopped up onto a bench and sat there. Tyler began to advance towards me but I stretched out my leg to keep him at... leg's length as I opened up the letter again.

-oo-

The fourth date had arrived.

It was to be simple.

Dinner at Edward's apartment.

I like it when a man cooks. It doesn't hurt that he owns a Tapas bar. Mmm Tapasward. I was seated comfortably at Edward's small dining table which was conveniently near the kitchen where I watched him cook.

I chose to wear a little black dress, paired with a long sleeved black cardigan, a dangling silver necklace and ... of course... those knee high blood red stiletto boots.

"I don't know if I can beat that restaurant's curse," he began as he placed down three different sauces. Edward took a seat across from me.

"You will," I stated simply.

The next twenty seconds were spent in silence as Edward continued to look at me. I threw him a smile and looked down into my lap. I looked up again five seconds later and he was still looking at me.

Shyly I broke the silence as I pointed at the candles. "This is pretty."

Edward smirked. "Antique."

I pulled a face, "Blehhhhhh." I pushed one of them away from me with my right pinky finger.

I thanked Edward for dinner to which he told me that _I_ said it would make a great fourth date.

Did I now? "Oh, thanks for listening," I laughed.

Edward raised his glass after a moment and toasted, "To our fourth date in three months."

Three months already? Wait... fourth date already? Hmm.

My glass met his in the middle.

After taking a gulp I began to speak. "You know, for me romances are usually this fast whirlwind and I – I've just really enjoyed taking the time to know you." 

"Me too," Edward replied softly.

I sighed in contentment and questioned Edward about the food he had cooked up.

"Marinated peppers."

I dipped my right index finger into the sauce and sucked it off of my finger without breaking eye contact. "Mmm, that's hot."

He stared at my lips before meeting my eyes. His wear turning black with lust and desire.

"How hot?" he murmured as he leant forward.

I smirked and leant forward too.

Our lips met over the dinner table and moulded together. Without breaking lip contact we both rose and got up to meet each other at the end of the table.

Edward placed one hand around my shoulders and the other planted itself onto my arse. I gripped his muscled back as he deepened the kiss.

I responded by kissing him back roughly and began to unbutton his shirt as we headed towards his bedroom.

-oo-

The sun shone through the open curtains we had forgotten to close last night in our hurry. I could feel Edward's hands on my waist and left thigh. My feet felt unusually warm and that was when I realised that I still had on my boots from last night.

I smiled.

Edward must have somehow known that I was smiling because he whispered in my ear, "I told you I wanted you in nothing but a smile and those shoes."

I giggled and turned my head to kiss him good morning.

We managed to spend that entire day in bed just talking, feeding each other grapes and chocolate covered strawberries, making out and having sex.

I was blunt.

The next morning found us entwined as we laid our heads at the end of the bed, talking.

"That's the most fun I've ever had," Edward murmured into the bedsheet.

I raised my head and looked at him. "Me too," I smiled.

-oo-

I walked into Roses for Romance around lunch time with the most cheerful expression. I had chosen to wear a floral pink skirt and a white and pink lacy singlet.

"Good morning boys," I chimed as I hung up my white trench coat.

Eric and Tyler turned and looked at me.

Eric pointed at me. "Your skin is _very_ clear."

Tyler piped up next. "Your eyes are so white."

I widened my eyes and smirked suggestively at Tyler.

Both of them looked at each other and screamed, "THEY DID IT!" and then proceeded to link arms and skip around in a circle repeating 'they did it'.

I joined in and began to do a little victory dance.

Suddenly my senses came to me and I stopped. "Hey, this is none of your business."

Eric and Tyler begged and pouted.

"But we're so proud of you!"

"Deets, I need details.

I huffed in mock shock. "Huh, I would never! I'm a lady. Please."

Tyler looked at Eric and then they went back to their work and questioned Billy on a flower delivery that was to occur on Friday.

"How are my eyebrows?" Tyler asked Billy.

He raised an eyebrow. "Very... Gwen Stefani during pregnancy."

I threw down my mail and turned towards the three of them. Damn, they tricked me into thinking they didn't care. I knew their game.

"Oh, he cooked for me!"

"Go on, go on." Tyler urged.

"I slept over for two nights."

Eric and Tyler screamed again. Eric raised his hand. "So this is date number four, aaaanddd there's one more date after this. And after date number five it's over."

My smile dropped a little. 'Yes," I said, no expression evident in my voice.

"You seem different," Eric stated.

Tyler looked at his lover. "How?"

"I don't know." The two of them then looked me up and down.

-oo-

It had been eight days and yet Edward had not rung me up or anything. It was always the man who was to actually schedule and ask me out on the dates. However, he had not.

So, here I was, standing behind a pole near 'Get on Tapas' waiting for Alice.

Speaking of the fairy, "Hi," she said as she snuck up behind my pole. "What are we doing?" she asked excitedly.

"Can you see Edward?" I asked.

Alice looked out from behind the pole and then turned back towards me. "Yeah."

I smiled but it was my 'what the hell' smile. "Does he look sick or injured or on fire?"

Alice looked again. "No..." pause. "It's been eight days."

I nodded and breathed in agreement.

I quickly walked away down the street. "Why hasn't he called me?" I questioned myself.

"He'll call," Alice huffed as she caught up with me.

Why has he not made plans for our fifth date? The romance had definitely not left yet. So, why had he?

-oo-

I walked into the Burger place, completely ignoring Rose, Emmett, Sam and Embry and instead marching up to Marcus, the owner.

He saw me and began to speak. "What will it be today Bella? Pears and Brie?" "Turkey and celery?"

"I'll have a meatball sandwich," I deadpanned. I'm usually one for the more delicate foods.

Marcus frowned. "He hasn't called, huh."

I could see Marcus look at something behind me and so I turned. And you'll never guess who walked in.

Edward.

He was looking at the day's paper but when he looked up he stopped in his tracks and stared at me.

I smiled a little too enthusiastically. "Hi, how are ya?"

"Good."

"Good," I repeated.

After an awkward moment of silence Edward asked how I was which I replied back to being good. Oh no, I'm becoming repetitive.

"Good," he replied.

Good, good. Everything was GOOD.

"How are you?" I repeated. Didn't I ask that?

"Good," Edward said.

"Good," I repeated.

"Good."

"Good."

Edward rocked on his feet and opened his mouth, "How are ya?"

"Good," I stated.

"Good, good."

Crap, crap. This is extremely awkward. Why was it awkward?

We stood there for a moment and then Edward took a packet of gum and walked out. He didn't even pay.

Marcus spoke up from behind me. "That's on the house," he mumbled as Edward walked out the door.

Marcus then called me out and handed me my order. "Good to go," he winked.

I grabbed it and then ran out of the shop after Edward.

What was going on here?

**-oo-**

**A/N: So... hey. I won't be surprised if no one reads this anymore. I, myself, had to go back and read over the story before I wrote this chapter. I'm very disappointed in myself for not updating since mid-March. Guess what! I've actually finished the rest of the story. So updates are up to you! But I will update every 5-7 days. Please review your favourite part or line if you're still out there. Also, you can follow me on Twitter. I'm xxtwilight7xx. The teaser for Chapter 7 is on my new BlogSpot. The link is on my profile.**


	7. That's the fifth date?

**Chapter Seven: That was the fifth date?**

**Disclaimer: I never will own Twilight or 'I Hate Valentine's Day'. I just make my own fun with the characters and plot.**

**-oo-**

**EPOV**

Could that situation with Bella have been any more awkward? I knew that we would eventually have to cross paths again but, seriously?

Awkward central.

For the past eight days I had thought of nothing but Bella but there was nothing I could do but get over it.

Her theory still applied. Five dates was enough. The romance is gone and we were to part ways.

The fourth date had ended amazingly and the fifth date was fantastic.

Yes, I counted the entire day Bella spent at mine as the fifth date. Technically, spending an entire day with someone counts as a date, right?

Well, anyway, I did count it.

And thus, our dating each other had ended. I had not seen or had any contact with Bella up until that awkward encounter in Burger Place.

I realised that I was holding the packet of gum that I had not paid for. Oops. I must go back there later on and pay Marcus for it.

I made my way back into my restaurant and threw down my bag and gum onto the bar bench.

The front door opened and I turned to see Bella haphazardly run into the room.

I fought the urge to smile at how radiant and stunning she looked.

"What's going on?" she blurted out.

What? I was doing as she first told me to do.

"Pardon?" I asked.

"You didn't call."

I dropped my arms to my sides. "What do you mean?"

She slapped down her wallet and her sandwich. "What do you think? That you could just have your way with me?" She crossed her arms and glared at me.

"But you said –"

"What? What did I say?" she interrupted.

"Five dates and then we move on. No anger, no recriminations, no commitments."

"Alright," Bella interrupted me again. "We had four dates," she pronounced slowly as if I didn't get it.

I shook my head. "Four? No. Five."

Her mouth opened in shock. "What are you talking about?"

I began stating the dates and counting them on my fingers. "Restaurant opening – date one. Art Gallery – date two. Karaoke – date three. Dinner at my place – date four. Then you stayed over that night and the next. So I thought that whole next day and night was five dates."

Bella nodded her head widely. "Yeahhhh, I'm just kidding," she laughed nervously as she bent over and leant her hand on her knee.

Was she playing some joke?

Bella began laughing hysterically. I asked her if she was alright.

"I'm joking," she laughed. "Yeah, that makes five dates. It was a _lovely_ love affair." Bella clapped her hands together.

I stuttered. 'Y-yeah, it was great. I loved it too."

Bella calmed herself down and appeared serious again. "Romance is gone, so we _must_ move on."

"We have to move on," I agreed.

"Yes!" Bella replied enthusiastically. "Any more dates would be a relationship and relationships do not work."

I tried to speak but Bella hurriedly excused herself because she was so hungry and had to go and eat her sandwich. With that she fled out of the door and down the street leaving me to stand there all confused like.

-oo-

**BPOV**

I walked from Edward's restaurant to my flower shop. The entire time I was trying to process what had just happened. God, how could I have just made a fool of myself?

This had never happened before. Why do I feel so hung up on Edward?

FIVE DATES AND THE ROMANCE GOES. FIVE DATES AND THE ROMANCE GOES. FIVE DATES AND THE ROMANCE GOES.

I repeated my mantra in my head as I walked the last block to Roses for Romance. Walking into the door I thanked a woman and her son for coming in.

Alice was up by the counter and told me that she had heard about Edward and my confrontation at Burger Place.

Shit.

"What happened?" she asked as she raised her hands in confusion.

I began to rant. "He _thought_ we had had _five_ dates. _Why_ on Earth would he _think_ sleepover equals _another_ date?"

Alice stood there. "Maybe because it... sorta... does?" she suggested.

"Can you be quiet?" I quipped.

Alice squeaked out, "But maybe it does a little... bit... for boys." She held up her left thumb and index finger to illustrate a 'little bit'.

Like I couldn't tell what a 'little bit' meant.

I glared at her and she fumbled and attempted to say something. Finally she spoke.

"Ah, do you want another date?"

What?

"Noooooooooooo," I dragged out.

"Butttttttttt maybe you dooooo," Alice smiled.

"Noooooooooooo," I repeated.

Alice clapped her hands and jumped up and down. "Yes! Maybe this could be a relationship! Maybe!"

"Noooooooooooo," I repeated for a third time. This time my voice lowered and was more forceful.

Alice stopped jumping up and down and stomped her foot. "Fine." She began to walk towards the front door.

I stopped her on her way out. "Oh, and let's just be clear okay. It was FOUR dates."

She held up one hand and wiggled all of her fingers on that hand. "Five," she whispered loudly and smirked.

"Bye?" Alice said as she skipped out the door.

-oo-

In the evening I found myself reading a romance novel but I couldn't quite get into it. I sighed as I slapped the book shut and threw it behind my shoulder without a care.

Reaching to my right to grab another romance novel I noticed the photos of romantic couples I had framed and hung up on my walls.

A couple embracing at an Art Gallery – I scoffed. A couple running at each other at a beach – I sighed and turned back towards the second novel.

After reading what appeared to be a sentence I finally figured out something.

With that I threw down the book and began to run towards Get on Tapas.

But when I was a couple of stores down the entrance to his restaurant burst open and Jacob and Edward exited, followed by a couple of blondes wrapped around their necks.

I watched, dejected, from the shadows as the four of them hopped into a taxi, the blondes giggling about something Jacob said being dirty.

I couldn't move. He had moved on?

The one time I felt something for someone even after the maximum number of dates had been reached, and he was fooling around with some blonde girls and Jacob.

I stood in the shadows muttering to myself about how stupid I had been.

Of course it was the same as all those other times.

Five dates with the one man.

Move on before the romance does.

That way neither of us gets hurt.

Well... I just got hurt.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid. There's no I in team but there are two in stupid. Big fat stupid!" I muttered over and over to myself as I stood still.

A voice sounded muffled from somewhere nearby. I looked down to see that I was standing on a homeless man as he was attempting to sleep.

Could my night get any worse?

I fumbled off of him and kept telling him I was sorry as I fled back home.

-oo-

**EPOV**

The entire day had been screwed up. After the conversation we had in my restaurant I was even more confused.

I still wanted Bella. I felt as though I needed her.

The entire day I could think of nothing but Bella. I had accidently missed the glass when I was pouring someone a shot of Green Apple flavoured Vodka and ended up spilling it onto the bench.

More than once one of my employees had to shake me from my thoughts.

Jacob had come in during the night shift with a 'Jacob Idea'.

Of course, that idea involved girls. He thought I needed a distraction, which I did.

So he took it upon himself, as my best friend of whom he owes me for saving his life back at Camp, to pick us up two 'hot, banging' chicks for a night on the town. His words not mine.

Jacob pressured me into having a couple of tequila shots with him and the two girls, Jessica and Lauren, before we hailed a taxi.

We had not gotten two blocks away from Get on Tapas when I asked the taxi to stop.

"Really? Really buddy, really?" Jacob asked me as he stuck his head out of the back window.

"Yeah man. I've got some stuff to catch up on."

"Hey, what happened to that one you were not dating?" Does he seriously have a memory of a goldfish or does he just not pay attention.

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. "Five dates. It's over."

"Thata boyyyyy," Jacob cheered me.

"Have a good night," I deadpanned as I pulled my phone out of my pocket. No messages.

"Take that booty call?" An older woman asked me as she walked by me, walking her dog.

I looked up. "It's complicated."

She stayed expressionless. "Oh honey, my bowels are complicated. Live is simple. Call her." I watched her walk away until I couldn't see her anymore.

I spent the next half an hour standing in the exact same spot, tossing up between whether or not I would call her.

In the end I didn't.

-oo-

The next day around lunch time I found myself talking to one of my chefs James as I looked over financial documents and nursed a beer. I rambled on and on to poor James.

"If you knew a certain gesture like, say, calling was considered needy, therefore a turn off. But you wanted to call and felt this call could be welcomed this one time if you were the one person that took a chance to do something different. Maybe even someone, call it romantic, like calling for another date, a date, like if someone were counting, could be numbered above five. Say six. Do you think that would be considered manly?

"No," he replied and then spoke to me in Spanish, which I did not understand.

James rose from his seat and took our empty plates back to the kitchen, leaving me to wonder if asking out Bella for a sixth date would be manly of me?

-oo-

**BPOV**

It was almost the fourth of July so Eric, Tyler and I had decorated the shop to match the holiday.

My heart wasn't in it like it usually was though.

The next morning I sat down on my bed and dialled up my voicemail.

One new message.

From my father.

I listened to it.

'_Hey, it's me. Your dad. Um, I guess I missed you again. Give me a call sometime.'_

Some small part of me was still hoping that Edward would ring and leave me a voicemail, asking me for another date.

Not that I knew I was going to agree to it. I just wanted Edward to call me.

All of this was new to me. I didn't know if I was able to call Edward.

I had had my theory for a number of years.

Change was hard.

That was why I was hoping Edward would ring.

But he hadn't.

I don't fall in love. But I don't know what this feeling is that I have for Edward.

Courtship was my business.

I just _didn't_ know _how_ to be courted and romanced into an _actual_ relationship with romance ignited with an ever-lasting fire.

I was pulled out of my reverie by relentless knocking. I opened the door to be attacked by five cameras.

On my doorstep was Sam, Embry, Emmett, Alice, Rose and my mother, and Phil the cafe owner who was holding a cake.

Oh right. It was my birthday. I forgot.

"Happy birthday!" they cheered to me in unison.

I just stood there in my pyjamas like a deer caught in the headlights of a car.

"Hi mum."

We all sat around my tiny table and ate the cake.

My mother was talking to Phil about how the cake was pronounced in French and then began mentioning my father. She told me to call him.

I placed down my fork. "You talked to dad?" I was shocked.

"Of course! He was my life for twenty five years." Renee pulled out something from her pocket.

"Not the photo," I sighed.

Renee always kept an old black and white photo she had of herself and Charlie back in their early romantic days. She managed to show it to anyone and everyone.

The table was silent after that.

Sam broke the silence. "So, are you seeing anyone Miss Swan?" he questioned my mother.

My mother laughed and wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Oh, I wouldn't know a thing or two about dating."

Alice piped in. "Ask Bella. She's an expert on dating."

My mum looked at me.

I distracted everyone by saying that we all had to get to work.

Crisis averted.

**-oo-**

**A/N: Yes, I realise there was an annoying amount of POV changes. I hope you all didn't mind. I just didn't feel like recounting and deciding what the other one would do when it wasn't really significant to the plot. This is meant to be a short story and I'm aiming not to drag it out too long. The next two chapters are written. Review your favourite line or part. You can follow me on Twitter at xxtwilight7xx. The chapter eight teaser is on my BlogSpot. Link is on my profile.**


	8. Men Versus Women

**Chapter Eight: Men Versus Women**

**Disclaimer: I never will own Twilight or 'I Hate Valentine's Day'. I just make my own fun with the characters and plot.**

**-oo-**

**BPOV**

Another couple of weeks had passed by, bringing with it the arrival of 'Wedding Session'. Here I sat, on the floor on Roses for Romance at an early hour of the morning supervising Eric and Tyler as they put up decorations.

I wasn't in the mood to help.

I watched as Eric nudged a snoozing Tyler who was perched on top of a step ladder holding a hot glue gun.

Another potential Occupational Health and Safety hazard. My, my, Tyler.

Alice came hopping in the front door and called me over. "Bella, Bella. I was walking past Get on Tapas this morning and guess what he had displayed in his window."

"A Foreclosure sign?" I guessed sarcastically.

What? The curse could have struck again.

She shook her head slowly. "No, no. An amazing Food Critic review and an advertisement about how a band was going to be playing there right now."

I stomped my foot. "_I_ told him about the reviewer... _and_ the band!"

"Do you want to go talk to him?" Alice suggested.

"Nooooooo."

"Do you want to go and see the band?"

"Nooooooo."

Alice thought for a moment. "You could flirt with the band in front of Edward."

I nodded my head without hesitation which earned a smile from Alice. "Okay."

"I'm going to head on over there right now. Do I have anything in my teeth?" I asked Tyler.

He shook his head.

I looked down at my dress. "What about this? Is it too tight? Satin feels weird."

"It's fine," Eric reassured me.

After a moment of silence I sighed. "I can't. He'll be there watching me."

"Isn't that the point?" Alice asked.

"Yeah," I sighed.

"I know what will cheer you up. There's a really, really cute guy who works down at the movie theatre."

I shook my head slowly. "Oh, hey always smell of dust."

Alice sighed this time. "Yeah, I love that."

I suppressed a giggle. "Go flirt." Alice scampered out the door. "Don't scrapbook him," I called out to her.

She stopped and smiled at me. "I'll try," she whispered.

I hope she would.

Just as I was about to open up one of the boxes of 'Wedding Season' decorations my phone rang out from my jacket. I picked it out of the pocket and looked at the screen before answering.

"Hi mum." She began questioning me about Edward and if he's called, which I said that he hadn't yet. Renee then went on to tell me that she thought Edward was going to call soon.

I sighed, yet again, and told my mother that I was busy setting up store decorations and that I'll call back tonight to resume this conversation.

I wouldn't dare to though.

-oo-

**APOV**

I decided that if Bella was going to be so stubborn, it was time that we organised to do something about it.

Emmett, Rose, Sam, Embry and Phil all met me at the Burger Place.

"It ruins relationships!" Phil blurted out as soon as I walked through the door. Bella had turned him into liking her theory.

Rose argued back. " Look, we need to do something." I nodded my head in agreement.

"Why can't she just admit that she wants another date?" Emmett asked.

I stopped drinking my can of Diet Coke. "Why can't he say it first?"

"Cause guys don't do that," Sam retorted.

Rose became defensive. "That's the problem! Not only do we have to figure out our own feelings, we have to tell you what's going on in your little tiny head."

Phil scoffed before taking a bite of his wrap. As the oldest man here (mid forties) I think he thought he knew better than Rose and I.

Sam defended the Y chromosome. "No! We have to do everything. We have to plan the date. Have to make sure it's something you've never done before. Have to think of romantic gifts for you..."

Phil nodded.

"We have to listen to you about _every_ little detail of your life," Embry argued.

"Look, Bella has been nothing but kind to us, right? She's always there to listen to us and give us advice when and wherever we need it," Rose stated.

I mumbled while looking down at the table. "I would be lost without her. She tells me exactly what to do and tone down my 'excessive nature'."

Rose nodded. "We'll all be lost without her. You guys," Rose looked at Sam and Embry. "Before you met Bella, had you ever kissed anything not made of plastic?"

They looked at each other and then back at Rose and I.

"We need to talk to Edward," Emmett said.

-oo-

We agreed to meet at Edward's restaurant towards the end of the Dinner shift. Upon arriving we saw him sitting alone at a large table at the back, shuffling through invoices.

I walked up to him, followed by the others, and surrounded him at the table. For the next three minutes Rose and I attempted to explain to Edward that he had, in fact, only had four dates with Bella.

"Four dates?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes!" the eight of us shouted. Oh right, Tyler and Eric also joined us. They care deeply for Bella too.

Everyone began to argue their own opinions at poor Edward until Rosalie told everyone to 'shut it'.

"How's about you finish what you started?" she suggested. Everyone looked at each other and agreed at the same time.

We then began our planning.

-oo-

**BPOV**

The next day found me, yet again, in the back room of my shop sorting through mail. Today had not been my day so far. First, I found a tear in the shirt I wanted to wear this morning. And then it had rained so I couldn't walk to work. Once at work I found out that the carnations I ordered where not coming in until tomorrow when I specifically requested that I needed them this morning; not the next!

I noticed a particular envelope that was handwritten and addressed to the shop. After opening the letter I pulled out a bright purple and yellow card with 'You've been invited' across the top.

"Hey," I stated enthusiastically. "We've got an invitation." Eric and Tyler gathered around me as I opened up the invite.

"To all who made 'Get on Tapas' a success: Please join us for a Spanish feast of the assumption. August 15th. See you there. Edward Cullen."

I scoffed. "Well, someone is making _assumptions_ that we're all available on August 15."

Tyler giggled as I continued talking. "Making _assumptions_ that we care whether his shop broke the stupid curse. He's not even Spanish. Poser!"

Eric slapped his hands down onto the table to my left. "Oh, we're going," he said firmly.

I turned to look at my employee and friend. "Have a good time," I smiled politely.

Tyler crossed his arms. "We're all going." He emphasised the ALL. Well, I'll be.

Tyler continued. "You will wear a pretty dress, plus lipstick. And I'm going to wax those eyebrows now. Eric, get more glue sticks! Her legs are so hairy it looks like she's wearing pants."

He looked at my bare legs and cowered away. Eric returned with glue sticks and the two of them advanced towards me. I attempted to swerve and dodge them in my chair that conveniently was one of those ones with wheels on them.

But my escape attempt didn't work.

-oo-

And so, the night of August the 15th had arrived and I was all but dragged to Edward's little _assumed_ evening.

The place was packed. Spanish music was heard from speakers, waiters were walking around serving complimentary cocktails and champagne.

Eric and Tyler dressed me in a simple short sleeved lacy white dress with a dangling gold necklace and gold heels with straps. As soon as I walked through the door I managed to spot Edward, and he, in turn, spotted me.

We both stood still and smiled at each other before I smiled once more and turned towards the bar to order a drink.

An hour or so had passed before I realised that I really had to use the bathroom. All of the champagnes I had had was affecting my bladder.

I had to give the bathroom door a shove when I wanted to leave the bathroom because something was blocking the door. I found it to be Jacob holding a schooner of some kind of beer.

I apologised and so did he but then he stumbled into me and began to sniff my hair.

"Hey, hey. You changed your hair."

Jacob was drunk.

It was at that moment that Edward showed himself. "What's going on?" he asked. Concern etched upon his face.

Jacob began to point at Edward. "But you had your five dates. You're done." Jacob turned to me again but he swayed and looked at the ground. "My turn," he drunkenly smiled.

Edward leant forward and pulled Jacob away from me by his jacket. "Go get some air."

Jacob stumbled away mumbling about how Edward had already had his fun.

I was offended.

"Oh, you had your five dates so you're done. I see." I accused Edward. "I see. So you just hand me off to your shallow friend?"

Edward attempted to speak. "You know I didn't hand you off."

Excuses.

"No. You are not a gentleman."

"What?"

"You suddenly decide four dates is five."

"It was five," Edward retorted.

"No! A sleepover doesn't count as a date."

"Sorry! I didn't read your instruction manual."

What? What does that mean?

"What does that mean?" I hissed.

Edward straightened up his back and looked me in the eye. "It means that you act like you believe, say love. You have fun with everyone. There are no rules. But you are all rules. You control everything. Who will woe you. For exactly how long. Five dates and then goodbye."

I was taken back. "You entered this willingly and then you blame me cause you can't count," I stated.

"Oh I can't count now. I just figured it out. You're so scared of being hurt that you pretend that this is a 'philosophy' about relationships not being normal. Your intimacies are only masked by your ridiculous fantasy life. You act like you live in the opening credits of some French film."

"But I like French films."

"Well, they're not real. Just like you," Edward nodded his head before he walked away, leaving me standing there shocked.

I wandered back home and sat down on my couch, curling my legs underneath me and wrapped myself in a blanket as the tears streamed down my face. Alice and Rosalie came up to me a minute later and comforted me.

After a minute or so Alice spoke up. "Maybe you should go back and talk to him."

I shook my head and wiped my eyes with the back of my hands. "He hatessssss me," I whimpered.

Rose and Alice didn't say anything so I continued. "I feel naked. I feel like Edward can see right through me.

"So, does being vulnerable make you weak?" Rose asked.

"It's so... my mum. I never understood why my mum let my dad see... her pain. I wanted her to act like 'Well, you cheated. Get out'. But she... cried to him. I remember when she found out. She sat down at the kitchen table... and her eyes went back and forth as if she had something in her head. And then he left..."

"And you decided that no one would ever make you feel that way."

I breathed in heavily and attempted to smile and nod. "Well, it's over."

**-oo-**

**A/N: I have actually finished writing the entire story... seeing as there is only a few chapters left. Which means, if you want quicker updates then review my pretties. Poor Tapasward and Bella are both messed up. I do believe in Happily Ever Afters though. Review your favourite line or part. You can follow me on Twitter at xxtwilight7xx. The teaser for Chapter nine is on my BlogSpot. Link is on my profile.**


	9. Apart

**Chapter Nine: Apart**

**Disclaimer: I never will own Twilight or 'I Hate Valentine's Day'. I just make my own fun with the characters and plot.**

**-oo-**

**EPOV**

The night had gone to shit. I had every intention of seeking her out at the stroke of midnight, handing her flowers and finally asking her out on our FIFTH date.

But no, we had managed to get into an argument where I ripped into her about the flaws of her theory, scratching deep down inside of her.

After I left the restaurant Phil, Emmett, Sam and Embry attempted to come after me but after a few minutes I shrugged them off; opting to sit on the same bench Bella adn I had sat once as we analysed random peoples' happiness.

Jacob had joined me after a while, handing me a long neck of beer. We sat in peace as we drank. Jacob soon began to fall asleep.

"Well, it's over!" I shouted and swung my free hand, which pushed Jacob over and he slumped down onto the curb.

'That's not fair," Jacob drunkenly pronounced from the ground.

"Get up," I slurred as I went to take another swig of my beer. But I found the bottle empty. I tipped it upside down and shook it to see if anything was coming out.

Through my beer-goggled eyes I saw nothing come out.

Damn it, the bottle was empty.

Jacob spoke up again. "You know, I don't get it."

I just looked at him and then the ground next to him. I laid down on my back on the concrete.

"You dodged the bullet there buddy," Jacob continued.

"No I didn't," I replied.

"Right," Jacob whispered loudly.

I didn't know what to do. After all the things that I had said to Bella tonight, I don't think I have the guts to go back and ask her out on her fifth date again. I don't think I could even talk to her for quite some time.

To hell with her theory.

I remember thinking that her theory was absolutely amazing after we had had our first two dates.

Well, I'm not thinking that now.

Right now I'm practically laying in a gutter in a street in New York City.

No romance here.

-oo-

**BPOV**

I was walking to work this morning. No longer the cheerful Bella Swan I once was who greeted everyone on my way.

Unfortunately I had to pass Edward's restaurant on my way home in the afternoon and he was outside with the delivery man going over the delivery docket and the purchased goods.

If I walk past Edward one of us was bound to look at the other. I needed a distraction. I patted down the pockets of my coat and felt my phone.

Perfect.

I grabbed it and flipped it open and began to speak into it as I walked by Edward, who heard my voice and began to turn towards me.

"Ha-ha-ha, of course I'd go on a date with you. I'd love t-"

Ring ring, ring ring, ring ring.

Crap.

I just looked at Edward and stepped by him to continue on my way with my phone still ringing.

Just keep walking. Do not show that you are embarrassed.

I'm so embarrassed.

I quickly dashed home to start setting up for tonight. Tonight I had decided to try to forget all about Edward by distracting myself. I had invited some regular guests at the flower shop and all of my friends over to bring in the new year together.

Who knows, perhaps I'll even meet a guy I can go on five dates with. The first date could even be starting at midnight with a kiss.

That's the spirit Bella.

As I was restocking the salsa dip my mum came sidling up to me. "'I'm seeing someone," she spoke quietly.

I nervously laughed, "Oh boy. That's great."

She looked straight at me. "Yeah, but it's new. Do you have any love advice for me?"

"Oh mum. I don't think you want advice from me," I said through my teeth and plastered on a fake smile.

We were interrupted by Eric, who had begun to count down. Everyone joined in.

"Five... four... three... two... one. Happy new year!" everyone shouted and turned towards their significant other.

I stood awkwardly near my kitchen door.

Was this my idea? Damn it.

I looked around the room and noticed my mum lip locking with her new 'someone'.

That someone was Phil.

My mouth dropped.

"My eyes are bleeding," I said. "Mum!" Mum and Phil broke apart.

I continued talking. "You're dating Phil!"

She smiled widely. "He's ten years younger than me. I'm a cougar!" Phil and mum looked at each other, raised their glasses and began to giggle together.

Shocked was an understatement.

I turned to my left and saw Alice with a tall, blonde haired guy. I watched their exchange.

Alice leaned down and picked up something. "I almost forgot. I made you a scrapbook of your life. I googled, and asked ClassMate(dot)com about you, Jasper,... annnndddd... there is a whole page of a collage of your lips."

Alice looked up at her blonde-haired fellow with a wide smile.

I watched as his shocked face turned into a smile matching Alice's. "I love it!" he exclaimed.

Alice jumped up and down laughing. "You're adorable," the man said as he caught Alice's lips with his.

Am I the only one alone this new years eve?

I turned back towards Alice and Jasper. He reached into his coat pocket. "And I got you this paperweight that magnifies your baby picture."

Alice looked up at him in shock and then suddenly grabbed his face and kissed him forcefully, which he returned back.

Alice had finally met her match.

Everywhere I looked there were couples.

My mum and Phil were sharing each others' wines.

Sam had found a beautiful new girl named Emily, which he was currently embracing.

Emmett was chewing on Rosalie's devil horns as they rocked together to the beat of the music with her shoulder resting on his chest.

One of my regulars was off sitting in the corner laughing it up with a rather handsome man.

I began to breathe heavily. I started to feel claustrophobic.

"Blehhhhhhh," I sighed and began to walk towards my bedroom where I climbed through my window on a small ledge.

Fireworks lit up the dark sky of New York.

I closed my eyes and listened to the fireworks; the bangs and cracks and pops.

I heard footsteps followed by an 'oops' and 'uh-huh'. Eric and Tyler had both tried to stick their heads out of my window at the same time.

"Table for one," Eric said.

"For the lonely," Tyler contributed.

"Oh, she far is, eh?" Eric commented.

Why did I ever have to meet these two? They're like my commentators.

Eric and Tyler continued to talk to themselves. "Who's that? It looks like someone we used to know," I heard Tyler say to Eric. He continued. "She was the most romantic, happy person filled with love, love, love. Then she turned into a twisted, shrive-"

I opened my eyes in time to see Eric clamp a hand over Tyler's mouth. Good choice there buddy.

Eric tapped me on the shoulder. "I think you need to tell Edward you're scared."

"You know, you think this is fear. This is instinct..." I pointed to my face. "... avoiding pain is how humans have survived. You think we'd still be here if we all went 'Oh look, there's a sabre tooth tiger. Let's all go tackle it before it eats us'?"

Tyler rested his chin on his hand. "Honey, did you see your mum?"

I nodded slowly.

"Let go!" Tyler went on. "Forgive the past."

Tyler then wrapped his arm around me and squeezed me to him as Eric rested his head over mine and Tyler's.

"What's that? What are you two doing?"

"Sssh, don't ruin the moment," Tyler chastised me.

Eric piped in. "Can we give you some advice?"

"No," I replied simply.

Silence followed.

""Right, bring it," I said.

"Woe him."

Tyler nodded in agreement. I looked at the two of them.

-oo-

After finally deciding what I should do I, I was now outside the door of Edward's apartment. I was going to leave a basket of banana muffins on his door hanger with a note saying 'Edward, It's a new year. Let's make it a happy one? Bella.'

I knocked on the door quickly and then dashed off home to ring up Alice before he opened it and saw me there.

Alice picked up on the second ring.

"_You baked him muffins? Isn't that a tiny bit 'think of me as your cousin, Ethel'?"_ Alice said over the phone.

"Really? You think? It took me all nigh to think of that. This is hard. What do guys like besides pizza and morning sex?" I replied as I went to boil the kettle and make myself a soothing cup of tea.

Before Alice could reply, I gave myself a pep talk. "Alright, I have to focus. I have to focus. I have to think. What does he want? What does he want? Because he will call me, he will call me, he will call me."

-oo-

The next morning my pep talk vanished from my mind as I looked at what the letter that Edward had sent to me said.

It was a Thank You note.

"Still no call?" I heard Alice ask Eric. Eric shook his head.

I raised my head and began to wave the letter around. "What does this even mean?"

I took the note out again. "What does this even mean. Ready 'Bella, thank you for the gifts. Edward'. I don't know what else to do. I've sent Rangers tickets, chocolates and Simpsons DVDs. I don't get it. What do men want!"

"A diamond dog collar and a Karaoke machine," Tyler burst out.

I groaned. "Erhhh, karaoke's a no."

Eric bent down behind the counter and picked up a box of our new decorations to go up. It was Valentine's Day decorations.

"Can I cancel it?" I asked.

Eric shook his head. "No, we'll be out of business."

"It's gonna suck," I said after a pregnant pause.

Alice nodded her head. "Yes, but it always does."

The shop phone rang and I answered it with, "Roses for whatever."

-oo-

I spent the entire day in the same spot trimming, organising, matching, placing and experimenting with the arrangement of the flowers for Valentine's day which was taking place tomorrow.

I cannot believe it had been almost a year since I had first met Edward Cullen.

I was once happy. Valentine's Day was my absolute favourite holiday. Everyone would turn to me for advice.

Now my own advice, my Five Date theory, was a failure.

I dragged out my chalkboard to the footpath and rubbed out the '2' with my palm to replace it with a '1'.

Only 1 more day 'til Valentine's Day.

I looked towards my shop window and saw all of the 'I love you's and the red.

"Come on!" I yelled out and leaned down onto my chalkboard.

The same man from a year ago came up to me. "Stupid fake holiday."

"I know! It's just the damn pressure, isn't it? Even if you're in a relationship, which I'm not, it's just a day that makes you feel inadequate. Am I doing enough for this person? Did I get a big enough gift? Do I even know this person? And what about those candy hearts?" I kept on rambling on and on as the man stared at me and proceeded to walk around me to go on his way.

Great, even that guy that hates Valentine's Day thinks I'm a nut case.

**-oo-**

**A/N: We're nearing the end my pretties. I really hope that you've enjoyed my fic. I actually don't know what else to say. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Review your favourite line or part. You can follow me on Twitter at xxtwilight7xx. Also, the teaser for the next chapter is posted up on my BlogSpot. Link is on my profile. **


	10. Valentine's Day Again

**Chapter Ten: Valentine's Day **

**Disclaimer: I never will own Twilight or 'I Hate Valentine's Day'. I just make my own fun with the characters and plot.**

**-oo-**

**BPOV**

The rising morning sun had woken me up this morning. Of course the sun would shine on Valentine's Day. It makes for a perfect day, for those with a special someone.

I sighed loudly as I threw off my blankets and sat up in my lonely double bed. Today would not be my day. This would be the first Valentine's Day where I would not be cheerful. Could I even put on an act for customers? Who would buy flowers from a depressed and seemingly bored flower shop owner? It might as well be a bad omen, signalling to all that if you buy from me you're bound to spend Valentine's Day alone.

But really, who spends the hallmark romantic holiday alone if they can help me?

Oh, that's right. Me, of course.

I slowly showered and dressed for the day. Black tights, dark grey dress, black jacket and black heels. Couldn't you tell how excited I was for the day?

Just like every other day of the year, I began my walk down to Roses for Romance.

As soon as I'd walked less than two hundred metres, I came up to Phil. He had a massive smile on his face as he held out a bagel to him. I couldn't even muster up a smile.

"Happy Valentine's Dayyyyyyy," he sang cheerfully as he placed the bagel in a brown paper bag. I just grabbed it from him and kept walking forward, not even bothering to smile at him.

"Phil, it's a good day because you're dating my mum. A vision, that if I let it burn through my retinas, it will burn a hole through my skull and my brain would leak. This is why you're happy on this day!" I yelled the last part as I kept walking.

I'm such a bitch.

"I have seen this day for what it is, a hollow sham. I will sell many roses to so many fools on this day who have not seen the light as I have. Valentine's Day blows!"

I stomped my feet harder against the concrete as I passed Get on Tapas. I stomped the rest of the way to my shop loudly. I didn't bother to muster up a smile for anyone. Thank God no one was waiting outside as I shoved the key into the front door and bumped around the shop as I hauled out the little blackboard that had 'it's Valentine's Day!" written on it in pink, cursive writing.

Two women walked past me as I placed the sign down on the concrete.

'Don't get your hopes up today, some man will just crush them!"

They didn't even both to look back at me. Suddenly Eric came out of nowhere.

"No!" I screamed as I saw a crowd of needy men behind him, desperately needing to buy flowers.

I stumbled into my shop, hoping to get in quick enough so that I could lock the front door. Eric got there before I had the chance. The phone rang at that moment and Eric and I looked at each other.

"Mine!" I yelled as I grabbed at the phone on its cradle.

Eric sighed and just looked at me.

I pressed the answer button. "Roses for fooling yourself that romance exists," I spoke into it.

Eric began to push on my right side as Tyler grabbed the phone out of my left hand and tried to rectify the situation on the phone.

"You should probably work in the back today," Eric told me as he pulled me into the storeroom.

I huffed as I slammed my handbag down on a table out the back, unlocked the back door for Billy and began to arrange flowers.

Not a moment later, Billy opened up the door. He took one look at me and immediately tried to close the door again.

"Billy," I said.

"Oh hey, Bella. What's up?" he asked innocently.

He closed the door behind him as I bombarded him with my insecurities. "Billy… I don't know anything about anything anymore. What do I do?"

Billy sighed. "How do I know? I'm from the world of 'not tonight, the kid puked on me'".

"Yeah but," I paused. "Sometimes it's nice, right?"

Billy looked at me and raised an eyebrow. "Well…this morning the kids were running around like crazy. My wife is standing in the kitchen making pancakes. Her hair's all messed up and her breath could've knocked someone off their feet. When she wasn't looking, I reached down and took the pancake syrup and I spelt 'Happy V-Day' out on her plate."

I smiled as Billy paused and collected his thoughts.

"She cried, you know."

A million thoughts swept through my mind.

"Do I have it all wrong?" I asked Billy quietly, afraid of hearing the answer. "Is that what love is?"

He stuttered. "Oh, it's not… it's not butterflies-in-my-tummy love, you know… But, you know, even on the bad days, you get there…you see her and the kids, and I'm… yeah… I think, "Yeah, it's good to be home'. Anyway, that's what love is to me."

There was a pregnant pause. Is that what love is to everyone? Love is different for each individual, right? How does one define love? How is love described in a dictionary? How can it have just one basic sentence? Can love even be defined?

I nodded my head slowly. "Yeah," I whispered. I walked quietly towards the back door. "Tell the boys I need to go," I told Billy without looking at him. I grabbed my bag quickly and went out the back door.

There was one person that I needed to see immediately.

-FD-

I sat down on the bottom of the stairs. I had no idea when he would be home. It was Valentine's Day. Who knows what he would be up to? I haven't seen or spoken to him in a while. I kept glancing around, hoping he'd arrive. Suddenly I saw him from the corner of my left eye. He walked towards the staircase holding grocery bags. As soon as he spotted me he began to slow down, weary of what I would have to say no doubt.

"Hi, dad," I said softly as he neared.

"Bella… jeez… it's so good to see you."

There was awkward silence.

Dad spoke again. "How are you?"

I sighed and looked down at the ground before facing him. "Dad, you never should have cheated on Mum."

He took a loud breath, "Well, I… I don't see how my relationship with your mother concerns you."

I was shocked. "Well, guess what, it does. It messed us all up. It really hurt mum, and how was I ever supposed to trust a man after that? It changed me. It's taken me years to figure this out. I thought all I ever did was fall in love. But, really, I made sure I never did. So yeah, it does concern me. And you were wrong to do it."

Dad said nothing as I poured my heart out to him. A look of pain marred his face.

I continued, "But I love you. Goodbye."

With that I got up and began to walk in the opposite direction. I didn't look back. I was too afraid of what I would see. I needed more time to heal before I saw my father again.

-FD-

**EPOV**

Valentine's Day at my restaurant was full of couples looking so in love with each other. It was utterly romantic and sickening to look at. Was that how Bella and I had looked at each other?

Valentine's Day had to be the worst holiday of the year. The old man who had sold me the antique stools had come in tonight to see how Get on Tapas was holding up.

"Boy, I can't wait to get home to my old Lady."

I put my hands on the bar and hung my head down. "Did you get her a Valentine's card that says 'Hey, old lady, glad you're alive?'"

Well, that was insensitive.

Aro looked at me. "I meant my dog. She's old and her name is Lady."

I looked up at him and met his gaze.

"Sorry."

He shrugged and took a gulp of his beer. "I like old things. Lady was 11 when I got her from the pound. Those antique stools, I found them when I was in Kentucky on the road. They're almost 200 years old."

"Don't you find it kind of creepy, like you can still see the old dead guy still sitting on them?"

Aro looked at me and then the stools. "I do now," he said with annoyance. With that Aro grabbed his beer and left the bar.

"Good talk," I mumbled as he walked away from me.

I busied myself with pouring a few couples dirty cocktails. Jacob came around to the bar.

"You're out of toilet paper," he told me as he finished tucking in his shirt. "Any girls show up looking for me? I hooked us up with some paralegals. You get Emily, I get Leah. No, wait a minute…" Jacob rambled off as he looked over to his left.

I faced him. "Why do I stand here with my hands in my metaphorical pockets, chained to my comfortable spot of fear?"

Jacob actually looked at me in confusion. "Are you rehearsing for a play?"

I sighed. "No, man, I'm talking about Bella."

He turned away and began fixing his jacket sleeves. "Oh, come on."

"I miss her. I want to see her again."

"By summer, I wanna lose five pounds."

Will Jacob ever listen!

"I blew it, man. I'm a complete moron."

Jacob reached over and grabbed an olive on a toothpick. "We're guys. It's an accepted fact of our sex that we do stupid stuff."

I nodded my head, not really paying him attention. We both shifted awkwardly for a few moments.

"What did you say?" I asked Jacob. I needed him to clarify.

Jacob raised his hands. "I need to shed the LBs. I'm getting chunky."

"No, no, no. About guys doing stupid stuff."

"I don't know. I don't listen."

And he finally admits it!

I stood up straighter.

"Men do stupid things," I said with confidence.

Jacob perked up. "Yes. Yeah, think about it. I mean, that's how great things happen. Take the Wright brothers. What is smart about jumping off a cliff strapped to wooden wings? Wood is heavy."

My confidence grew again. "That's it. I gotta do something stupid." I walked out in front of the bar and made my way to the front of the restaurant.

"Thank you!" I yelled out to Jacob. I heard him reply with 'You're welcome'. I suddenly turned around.

"What's open?" I stressed and began to walk in the opposite direction.

"What's happening?" Jacob questioned as he followed me.

I strode out the front door and began making my way down the street. I passed a homeless man and saw what he had in his trolley.

"May I borrow that?" I pointed to a red dress with long sleeves.

"That'll be two dollars."

I continued to dig through his belongings.

"And free tapas for a week," the homeless man continued.

"Make it a month," I replied and beckoned Jacob over.

I had a plan.

-FD-

**BPOV**

After I had left my father at the bottom of his building I had walked home and began to process my thoughts.

And that was how I spent my entire Valentine's Day.

I was brought out of my thoughts as I heard a knock at the front door. Who could that be? Honestly, it could be any one of my friends right now, coming over to comfort me.

I got up out of my chair and made my way to the front door.

To my surprise it was a delivery guy holding out a rather large pink wrapped heart with a pink post-it note stuck onto the top. He smiled at me as I took the heart and then he left.

Confused, I close the door slowly as I tried to read the note.

"I'm sorry, let's talk – Dad."

I smiled as I brought the letter up to my heart.

My father had actually apologised and was trying to make an effort. I smiled again just as the phone rang.

I put down the note and reached behind me to pick up the phone. It was Alice.

I laughed.

"I'm alive, okay," I answered.

"_Yeah, but are you watching 'Jerry Macguire' again?"_ came her reply.

"No, I am not."

"_Wait, is that jazz outside your window?" _Alice asked me. Now that she mentioned it, I had begun to hear jazz music from outside.

I pulled the phone away from my ear to hear it. I pulled it back quickly.

"Uh, it is. Yuck, jazz!" I laughed into the phone.

I held the phone up to my ear as I walked towards the window and began lifting it with my other hand.

I looked down to see a group of people had gathered. And there was Alice and Jasper, hand in hand as they looked up at my window.

"What are you doing?" I yelled down to her as I also yelled into the phone.

Then I heard my name being yelled out.

"Bella!"

I knew that voice.

I looked over to the right to see Edward standing up.

"Here's stuff that scares you," he yelled up at me. He was holding one of his antique stools in his left hand and an ugly red dress with one sleeve entirely cut off. Ew one shouldered dresses!

He then dropped the items.

"Here's something that scares me," he continued.

He shrugged himself and then began to sing.

"If I can't love you til the day I die. Then, baby, oh baby, what good am I? If I can't reach out and know that you'll be there. Then this old world ain't spinnin' anywhere cause there's no livin' without your lovin'. Without the thrill of your magic touch. There's no livin' without your lovin'. Baby…"

I had to interrupt him. "You're an idiot," I called out to him.

"No, you are. But I love you."

I was stunned, and stood there for two seconds opening and shutting my mouth like a goldfish. "Well, that makes you a bigger idiot."

He just stood there and looked up at me.

I continued, "Then I love you too. Now go away."

Edward waved to everyone. "Okay, everybody, on three. One! Two Three!"

As Edward counted down, all those that had come suddenly arranged themselves into the shape of a heart.

Edward stood at the bottom of the heart, making the pointed bit. "Bella, would you be my Valentine?" he shouted up at me as he pulled out a single pink rose.

Edward had conquered his fear and had sung karaoke for me… extremely off key but he still did it. My heart swelled with happiness.

I loved him.

I loved Edward.

I truly did.

I closed my eyes and reopened them. They flashed to everyone that had gathered.

Alice, Jasper, Mum, Phil, Eric, Tyler, Emmett, Rosalie, Sam, Jacob, Billy, Henry and a few regulars at the flower shop and those I had noticed at Edward's restaurant.

All were eagerly looking up at me, waiting for my answer.

My eyes fell onto Edward.

His eyes had not wavered from me the entire time. I smiled widely and fled from the window. I ran as quickly as I could down the three flights of stairs and pounded through the building's front door.

I ran into Edward's arms and immediately kissed him roughly as I wove a hand around the back of his neck and took the rose with my right hand. Edward kissed me back, as equally greedy as I was.

Finally we pulled apart and I looked up at him, forgetting about the audience.

"You're still an idiot," I laughed.

"So are you. Enough of your dumb system. Are you my girlfriend?"

I smiled. "Yeah, I'm your girlfriend. You're my boyfriend." I couldn't wipe the smile off of my face.

Edward gazed down at me, his eyes bore into mine. "Some of these relationships work, you know?"

"Okay, we need to try. But we should set some rules because I don't know what we're…"

Edward laughed. "Stop talking"

"Make me."

Edward looked determined as he bent his head down to capture my lips with his.

So… this is my first sixth date.

Hopefully many more with Edward are to come.

**-oo-**

**A/N: So... this is the end of Five Dates, finally! Review your favourite line or part for the last time. You can follow me on Twitter at xxtwilight7xx. For readers of LITR, I'll be rereading and revisiting that story to see if my writer's block has gone away. Thank you to those who have stuck with me for the last year and a half basically. It means alot. Some may be pleased to know that I have inspiration for another story but I have absolutely no means whatsoever of posting any of it until I have at least the first 15 to 20 chapters pre-written so that I'll be able to post regularly. **

**Anita.**


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